Ausl. N.Z. J . Surg. 1993, 63, 82-83

BOOK REVIEWS

LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

By D. C. DUNN and C. J. E. WATSON. Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1992. Illustrated, 143 pages, includes index. Price: $94.00.

This is a hardback book with an attractive cover. Unfortunately the simple and interesting operation of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is made most un- interesting and boring behind this attractive cover.

Logical thought has gone into planning the chap- ters on instruments, lasers, pre-operative preparation, anaesthesia, surgery and problems. Somehow, the trivia and mundane spoil whatever interest could be aroused in reading this book.

It is hard to conceive to whom the book is directed. Being told that a trocar passes through a cannula, or that the skin may be cauterized if it bleeds, or the bladder may or may not be emptied, would suggest that surgeons or registrars are not in mind. Very few competent surgeons drain the abdo- men after laparoscopic cholecystectomies. As the patients are described as going home the same day, do they take their drains with them'?

It is hard to recommend this book.

Department ojsurgery, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria

K. J . HARDY

LUNG AND HEART-LUNG TRANSPLANTATION

By V. GALLUCCI et al. Italy: Piccin Nuova Libraria, 1991. Illustrated i X 166 pages, includes index. Price: not given.

This is an up-to-date and comprehensive monograph on the specialized subject of lung and heart-lung transplantation. It is written by an international group of experts and based on a symposium organ- ized by the late Professor Vincenzo Gallucci and his group from Padua, Italy.

Two chapters review the pathophysiology of the main conditions for which heart or heart-lung transplantation is indicated, namely chronic re- spiratory failure and congenital heart disease with severe pulmonary hypertension. There is a particu- larly good chapter reviewing the literature on lung preservation for transplantation and citing 165 ref- erences. This is a systematic, detailed and critical review of the clinical and experimental studies on 'this area. It should be required reading for all those involved in the practice of lung transplantation.

The chapter on single and double lung transplan- tation from the experienced Toronto group headed by Dr Joel Cooper covers the surgical technique and postoperative management for lung transplantation. Combined heart-lung transplantation is covered in two chapters, one from Papworth Hospital in Cam- bridge and one from Harefield Hospital in Middlesex. The chapter from Harefield is co-authored by Profes- sor Magdi Yacoub. The chapter on the pathology of the recipient and the transplanted lung is well illustrated with photographs of macroscopic and microscopic specimens. A feature of this book is the quality and quantity of the colour illustrations.

Although this volume arose from a symposium, it is not in any sense a Symposium Proceedings. The symposium on Chronic Respiratory Insuffi- ciency, held in Padua in 1988, was simply the springboard for this well edited book. Progress is rapid in the relatively new science of heart and heart-lung transplantation. Hence. reports of clini- cal results in book form such as this tend to be somewhat outdated by the time the book is pub- lished. However, the descriptions of surgical tech- niques and the background to the procedures in this monograph are up-to-date.

In all, this is a readable book which provides a useful reference source for those working in the field of lung and heart-lung transplantation.

Cardiuc Surgical FRANKLIN ROSENFELDT Research Unit

Baker Medical Research Institute Prahran. Victoria

SURGICAL AlTENDlNG ROUNDS

By K. F. LEE and C. M. DYKE. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1992. Illustrated, i + 393 pages. Price: $63.00.

1 think that this is a useful book. In a question and answer format, it covers a series of major topics in surgery, taking important examples from breast and endocrine surgery, upper gastroenterology, colorectal disease, hernia, arterial disease, trans- plantation, general thoracic surgery and a few more general topics such as morbid obesity. The cover, therefore, is wide and the illustrative cases have been well chosen.

The striking thing about this book is that it has been written and assembled by two residents in surgery from the Medical College of Virginia, USA, and it is structured as though the attending